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She said: “It would have a massive impact on residents, and on the conservation area in Mill Road. I have lived near students with 25 living in a block. This would be 40. Even if they can control students’ noise, it doesn’t mean there won’t be any disruption.”

The developers insisted there would be a warden on site to keep an eye (and ear) on the residents.

How the development could have looked

In a letter to the committee, ward councillors Anna Smith, Sophie Barnett and Dave Baigent said they appreciated the need for more accommodation in the area, but questioned the ratio of students to full-time residents, and said the application would not be good for the area.

“Residents are asking whether it is good planning to continue to put more students into Romsey,” they wrote. “This is a bad application and will destroy the streetscape for ever.”